


The Tale of the Nine New Witches

by orphan_account



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Action/Adventure, Akko is actually competent now, Canon Compliant, Diakko friendly rivalry is actually a thing now, Diana has a sense of humour, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/F, Gen, Not Beta Read, POV First Person, Post-Canon, School, Things will get more serious, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Shortly after student witches Atsuko Kagari and Diana Cavendish stopped the magitronic missile and revived Yggdrasil, a new school year begins at Luna Nova. Things seem to be looking up for Luna Nova and witchcraft in general, now that the public image of magic has changed and that witches all over the world no longer need to rely on anything else to use their magic. However, while Diana struggles with newfound feelings for her Japanese classmate, something darker is stirring just out of sight. With more magic users appearing all over the world, some bad apples are bound to sprout, and magic users being more common is bound to make the most extreme anti-magic supporters to grow anxious...
Relationships: Diana Cavendish & Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Ursula Callistis | Chariot du Nord & Croix Meridies, Ursula Callistis | Chariot du Nord/Croix Meridies
Comments: 24
Kudos: 67





	1. A New School Year

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really sorry to announce this, but I think I'm simply not gonna be able to commit to schedule, not even when I'm not busy. Turns out, writing this thing is complicated, especially when it's not the only story you got in the works... It'll just have to be me writing a chapter and putting it out as soon as it's ready from here on out. That said, I sincerely hope I'm not forced into hiatus again...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After reminiscing about her new friends, Diana returns to Luna Nova after having spent the summer at her manor, helping run things. However, after being unable to stop thinking about her classmate, Atsuko, all summer, seeing her again is a quite a shock to her...

We saved the world. Yes, we certainly did. There was no question about it, considering the ordeal had been transmitted live through the internet, television, and even magically through the Leyline. Not only that, but Yggdrasil had been revived through our actions, and now, witches all over the world can use their magic freely, without having to worry about drawing power from somewhere else.

Yes, the newbie witch from the other side of the world named Atsuko Kagari, and myself, Diana Cavendish, had become heroes…

But that didn’t take away the fact that we are still students. A few short months after Akko and I stopped the magitronic missile, the final exams came up. Surprisingly, I found myself studying not only with Barbara and Hannah, but also with Akko herself, and her friends Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze. We all passed all our exams, which was quite surprising in the cases of both Amanda and Akko, and even Professor Finnelan congratulated them without even a hint of sarcasm or malice. I guess they must have felt really happy, as I remember them sharing a fist bump and celebrating all day afterwards.

After that came the summer break, and we all went back home for a few months. Still, before that, the group formed by Hannah, Barbara and myself seemed to just sort of blend with Akko and crew. My two roommates never spoke about it, but I could tell they regretted picking on the Japanese girl and her friends. In spite of that, they also seemed happier. Barbara had finally publicly revealed her interest in the Night Fall novels, something that helped her bond with Lotte, to the point that they could often be seen together, either reading or talking about this or that, and Hannah found a very unexpected chemistry with Jasminka, of all people. I’ve always found that a little amusing, to say the least.

As for those six, they all turned out to be quite interesting people to be around. Lotte is a very sweet and humble girl, and also most likely the smartest person in the group. While I may be knowledgeable, she definitely has better problem solving skills than mine. Everyone relied on her when we all studied together, and while it probably felt a bit overwhelming for the poor girl, I could tell it was boosting her self-esteem as well. Sucy knows quite a bit about potions and alchemy, and not just that, but despite seeming cruel and heartless, I eventually realised she never tested potentially dangerous potions on others, and ended up throwing them away or testing them on herself instead. She cares more than she lets on. Amanda, who I initially wrote off as a wash-out who would eventually do something to get herself expelled, probably even faster than Akko would, turned out to be quite talented and smart, and also really fun to be around. Jasminka never really does much of anything, but hardly anything seems to get her down, and while she is certainly not as boisterous or noticeable as some of the other members of our little group, her smile is just weirdly infectious. Constanze may not talk or smile much, but the way she just tries so hard with all of her inventions is something to behold, especially considering her short stature. She’s inspiring in her own way, and she also gives Lotte quite the fierce competition for the spot of smartest girl out of all of us, though Lotte can compete simply because her skills are more broadly applicable to many subjects, whereas Constanze’s seem to be better, but for a smaller number of areas.

And then, there’s Akko herself. Where to even begin? She may have been the worst witch to ever set foot on Luna Nova at first, but her passion and determination have proven that they can bear fruit. After stopping the magitronic missile with me, she threw herself with all her might into her studies, even more so than before. She didn’t let the fame and glory get to her head, and instead, figured she would live up to everyone’s expectations and become a great witch in her own right. She even declared it out loud to the entire group one afternoon, and for once, no one mocked her for it. Given how much she had improved since the missile, everyone was willing to give her a chance.

“Oh? A great witch, you say? Are you trying to move in on my territory?” I responded, more confidently than I was actually feeling. I’m not sure what exactly came over me at that moment, but the comment, as well as Akko’s response, got everyone excited.

“You’re on, Diana! I’ll become a greater witch than you, you’ll see!” she said with her trademark enthusiasm, her Japanese accent making the line sound a bit more endearing than she probably intended.

I smirked in response. “I’ll be watching you, then. You better not disappoint after a declaration like that.” And then the group went back to simply hanging out after Akko simply gave a devious smile in response.

After that, I began taking Akko’s views of our relationship as a rivalry more seriously. We constantly teased and challenged each other to little contests. I would have probably seen this type of relationship with anyone as childish and pointless before, but to be honest, I started spending more time with her than with anyone else afterwards. She started improving her magic even faster after that, and not just that, but I also began seeing some improvements in my own magic as well. I found some fun in teasing and challenging her as an equal, and she never got angry with me, but instead, returned the same kind of treatment. I could tell she was having fun as well, as she laughed often.

She’s still her same boisterous, impulsive and slightly childish self, but despite that, she had also grown as a person. She became wiser, slightly calmer, and more patient. She began thinking about her actions and their consequences more, and yet, she is still the lovable goof she has always been. I wonder how she found that balance so easily…

Soon after stopping the missile, I began seeing her in a new light. Her blunders became endearing, as well as the intensity with which she threw herself into her studies. Her smile started to resemble a beacon to me, with how brightly it shines. I even began noticing the way her accent becomes more noticeable the more excited she gets, and how sometimes she says a few words in her mother tongue, or even a full phrase, when she doesn’t direct her words at anyone in particular. I even noticed how she refers to Professors Callistis and Meridies as “sensei.” It made me appreciate just how good her English is, and always has been, and I wondered just how much she must have studied the language to be that good. I remember having taken a passing glance at Japanese vocabulary, grammar and morphology way back when Mother promised me we would go to Japan to see a Shiny Chariot show, and being quickly overwhelmed before deciding it wasn’t worth it to learn the language if I was only going to be there a week at most. I wonder if she ever felt the same way when she was learning English… Then again, she is the girl who learned fish language in a day without even realising, so maybe she didn’t have a problem with English, either.

Eventually, though, the summer break came, and we had to say goodbye. We all still kept in touch with one another, though, but it really wasn’t the same. I surprised myself with how much I missed even the quietest members of our group, and I was even more bewildered by the fact that I missed Akko so much, I could rarely get her out of my thoughts. It made me wonder what exactly my feelings for her were…

The break did eventually end, though. I thought I was giddy before, when I began my first year at Luna Nova, but now that I also had an amazing group of friends waiting for me there, I was positively elated. The school itself also promised more excitement, as they had decided to modernise themselves by allowing more witches from normal families to attend, as well as implementing a healthy amount of technology and magitronics on campus, and teaching about the latter, as well as allowing phones and other devices to be used by students and teachers alike, within reason. All in all, this year is gearing up to be a very exciting one.

Which is why, the moment I emerge from the Leyline on my broom, I’m immediately looking around the grounds, searching for my friends. I quickly spot Hannah and Barbara waving at me from below. I smile and return the wave, then lower myself and land near them, only to be assaulted by both of them with hugs simultaneously before I’m even able to get off my broom.

“W-wait, girls!” I plead uselessly.

“We missed you so much, Diana!”

“We did, we really did!”

_ Are they… crying…?  _ I’m not a very physically affectionate person, and they are aware of that, but I suppose they must have missed me enough to disregard that momentarily. A little touched, I gently, but admittedly awkwardly, return their embrace. “I missed you, too.”

They pull away, wiping their eyes. “Have you seen the others? Where are Akko and crew?” asks Hannah.

“I want to see them, too… I even planned something with Lotte…” confesses Barbara, scanning her surroundings while holding what I presume to be the latest Night Fall novel against her chest. A closer look reveals it’s still sealed.  _ Did those two plan to open it and read it together…?  _ The thought makes me smile.

I raise my gaze again and shake my head. “I’m sorry, I haven’t seen them. I suppose they’ll be arriving soon enough, though, right?” I say as I get off of my broom.

They both sigh in defeat and head to the bench they were sitting at earlier as I follow them. “I guess you’re right…” says Hannah.

All three of us sit down on the bench, and I raise an eyebrow at them. “Goodness, you are happy to see me, right? I haven’t become an excuse for you to just get to your new friends, have I?”

Barbara visibly panics, and she begins waving her arms from side to side, her eyes wide as she faces me. “N-no, no, it’s not like that!”

Hannah, instead, laughs as she places a hand on her dark-haired friend. “Pipe down, she’s only teasing us.” To confirm this, I chuckle a little to myself.

Barbara visibly blushes, then frowns and tenses her arms downwards in embarrassment. “Oh, c’mon, Diana, that’s not fair! We’re still not used to this version of you!”

I raise both of my eyebrows, puzzled. “This version of me?”

“Well, you didn’t have a sense of humour before!”

I pause, a bit stunned. “I didn’t?”

Hannah places her finger on her chin, humming in thought, and then faces me. “Nope, you didn’t,” she tells me directly, and her tone reveals she didn’t really need to think about the subject at all.

I sigh in mock-exasperation and place my hand on my forehead. “Yeah… I suppose I didn’t…”

Barbara looks somewhat taken aback by my reaction, but Hannah smiles. “Hey, don’t worry. It’s good that you actually are developing one now, right?”

I straighten back up. “I suppose it is,” I tell them with a smile.

After that, we start catching up with each other. While I was helping out with things back home during the break, Barbara had mostly stayed at home and had a short stint writing her own stories, which she had secretly always wanted to do but never had the confidence, while Hannah had found that she rather enjoyed cooking, something she had never done in her wealthy household.

“I’m happy to hear you two have spent your summer doing new things, truly,” I tell them honestly, which causes both of them to smile proudly.

It is then that I hear it.

“Woah, Akko! When the hell did you get ahead of me!?” roars a deeply-voiced girl with a distinctly American accent.

I look up to see Amanda flying on her broom, looking ahead of herself with a completely flabbergasted expression.

Then I hear another girl laughing in response. I move my gaze to the source of the sound and finally see her. The lovable goof who messed up so often before, who at some point captivated me enough to occupy most of my thoughts, Atsuko Kagari… There she is.

And even more stunning is the fact that she’s flying on her broom, dozens of metres above the ground, and much faster than I’ve ever seen her flying before. I can’t help but stare, my jaw hanging agape.

“I told you, I’ve been practicing all summer!” she responds to Amanda, then speeds up even more and starts flying in an inward spiral while gaining altitude. She reaches the cusp of her spiral and plummets down face first, causing everyone who’s watching to gasp and tense up. Though, as it turns out, Akko has more control on the situation than we give her credit for, as she perfectly stops herself right before she collides against the grass.

She looks around herself, and when she spots us, she beams. “Diana! Barbara! Hannah!” she calls out, waving at us enthusiastically. All three of us are too dumbstruck to react in any way.

She starts speeding towards us on her broom, and it’s not until she’s almost right on top of me that I react. She picks me up and carries me bridal style while speeding on her broom, making me scream.

She laughs again. “Hey, calm down! Aren’t you happy to see me?” she asks, way too excited.

I hold on to her shoulders for dear life, my cheeks heating up. “Akko! Wh-What are you doing!?”

She shrugs. “Thought I’d show you my new broom flying skills by giving you a ride!” she explains, and giggles a bit. I clench my teeth in horror as I notice that she’s looking at me and not at where she’s going.

I look forward, and scream again as I notice we’re speeding towards one of the stone walls of the school. “Look where you’re going, you idiot!” I bark at her as I bang my fist against the front of the broom, making it tip downwards.

She looks forward as well once more, and she too screams in horror, using my small help to quickly dive downwards and to the side, narrowly avoiding the wall. However, she’s still screaming, as she has lost control of the broom.

I pull out my wand quickly and target the bench we’re about to crash into. “Oruihon Deyantz!” I quickly recite, transforming the stone bench into a mattress. We bounce off of it, and go crashing into a bush.

We both sit up quickly afterwards, look at each other in astonishment, then burst out laughing. I surprise myself with how quick I am to laugh this whole thing off.

“Sheesh, Akko. And here I thought you were getting more careful about things…” I chastise her somewhat jokingly as I stand back up. Or, at least, try to stand up. The moment I place my right foot on the ground, I feel a sharp pain on my ankle and fall back down with a choked gasp. I quickly discover it’s painfully twisted in a rather ugly angle…

The next thing I hear is Akko’s worried gasp, and before I can get a word in, she has already pulled her want out and pointed it at my ankle. Quickly and skillfully, she casts a healing spell, and my ankle returns to its place, the pain fading away.

Once more, I am stunned. I look up at her with my eyes wide, and she averts her eyes, looking a little regretful as she rubs the back of her neck. “I’m… I’m sorry. I… probably should have thought that through a little better…”

I can’t contain myself anymore. For some reason, the urge to pull her into a tight embrace is too much to bear. I quickly reach around her shoulders and pull her close, holding her tightly against me and burying my face on her shoulder.

“D-Diana!?” she utters in surprise, very much aware that I normally don’t do this sort of thing, but quietens down when she hears my quiet sob.

“I missed you so much, Akko… You have no idea…”

“Eh…?” She feels tense and awkward about all this, and she’s possibly even blushing, but I really couldn’t care less.

“And you’ve gotten so good at flying on your broom! I’m so proud of you…” I keep muttering into her shoulder.

“You… You are…?”

“Yes! More than you know!” I exclaim in response, raising my head to look at her.

She smiles in response, then hugs me back. “I missed you, too, Diana,” she calmly tells me.

I bury my face in her shoulder again, and we stay like that until I hear someone clearing her throat beside us. “Well, then…” It’s Amanda’s voice.

I tense up and quickly separate from Akko, then I stand up and clear my throat to hide my embarrassment, though facing them seems to have been a mistake, as my cheeks are burning. I’m probably blushing like mad. I notice all seven of our friends are gathered there, awkwardly staring at us.

“You… guys are okay, right?” Lotte, who is carrying Akko’s luggage for her, asks, leaning to the side as she takes us both in with her analytical eyes.

I dust myself off and remove a few leaves from my hair, and Akko stands up and does the same. “Yes, we’re fine. Thank you, Lotte,” I tell her with a smile. Turning to everyone else, I greet them as well. “I’m so happy to see all of you again after all these months.”

Amanda smirks at me. “Well, I finally got to see ya doin’ something embarrassing, so I’m not regretting it!” she states, then laughs, which causes everyone else to snicker. Even Lotte seems to be trying to stifle her own laugh.

I cross my arms. “Well, it’s good to see you, too, O’Neill,” I say with mock-sarcasm.

“You know I’m joking, right?” she asks.

I can’t help but laugh a little myself. “I know, don’t worry.”

Akko chuckles a bit afterwards. “It’s so good to see you all again!” she announces, then waves at Hannah and Barbara specifically, who return the gesture. I suppose she must have already greeted everyone else.

After greeting my two roommates, the Japanese witch goes back to the bush and retrieves her broom, then joins the group again. “We still have some time before the opening ceremony, right? How about we catch up in the meantime?” she proposes, taking her bags from Lotte and starting to walk back towards the school.

Everyone eagerly falls into conversation with each other as we follow Akko’s lead. She stops to transform the mattress back into a bench before putting her finger over her mouth to indicate that it’s supposed to be a secret. Everyone chuckles in response.

“At least Akko can clean up after her own messes now,” Sucy comments, drawing more chuckles, even from Akko herself, who bashfully rubs the back of her neck without denying anything.

“Don’t be mean!” Lotte chastises amusedly.

Afterwards, we continue walking, heading towards the bench me and my teammates occupied earlier to retrieve our luggage, and then towards one of the tea tables scattered evenly across the school gardens.

I can’t help but feel a bit out of the loop, though I suppose it is my own fault, as I’m still staring at Akko, lost in thought.  _ My earlier reaction really did put things into perspective… I’ve been having so much trouble trying to figure out why I can’t get Akko out of my thoughts over the summer, and now, I react like this… Could it be… Did I fall for her…? _

The thought catches me by surprise, and I find myself stopping for a moment, causing Hannah, who is walking beside me, to look at me and raise an eyebrow. I shake my head in response, then fall in with them once more, so she simply shrugs and continues her conversation with everyone else.

_ I fell for her even though she’s a girl like myself… Well, I suppose I wouldn’t be the first case of that happening. I just… never thought I had those sorts of inclinations… _

I continue to think about this, wondering whether I should try to explore these feelings during this school year, as we reach the table and sit around it, with some of the group sitting further away from it than others due to the table being far too small for a group such as ours.  _ How do I put this… This might be troublesome. She might not have those inclinations, and what about what everyone else would say…? _ Despite being happy about finally meeting everyone again, I’m beginning to worry my newfound feelings for Akko might jeopardise everything…


	2. Omens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls attend the opening ceremony. There, they realise a certain Modern Magic professor still isn't back. Meanwhile, on the Scottish Highlands, some dark forces are discovered...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, the reaction to the first chapter was rather unexpected. XD To be honest, I'm really happy about all your comments, guys! It's made me a bit nervous, but eh, what can ya do. I still love the comments.
> 
> Anyways, not a whole ton of events going on in this chapter, but the next few ones will definitely be a bit faster! Also, you'll probably really like who shows up at the end...

After spending a while catching up with everyone, I quickly learned that everyone in our friend group seemed to have an enjoyable break. Most of them just spent time with their families after not having seen them in a while, though I also learned Akko’s earlier statement of having practiced all summer was no joke or exaggeration. Apparently, she practiced her magic and studied so much, her parents had to pull her books, wand and broom away from her a few times. She told us she fought them about it since she wanted to keep studying, but she also knew they were simply concerned for her, and she eventually ended up telling them she appreciated that. Even despite their concerns, the girl retold how proud they looked when she pulled off a spell, translated a scroll written in some archaic script, or managed to go to the store and back on her broom without any incidents.

I also noticed, however, that everyone did miss each other a lot. It’s true that we kept in touch thanks to technology, but due to some of us not being used to it, we really didn’t talk much, so we knew little of each other’s experiences over the summer. Hannah, Barbara and I had to buy smartphones, and even to this day, we’re not very well versed in how to use them. I even heard from Amanda that she ended up buying one, too, and she almost broke it out of frustration on multiple occasions. It also simply wasn’t the same as being around them all.

After that, we left our luggage in our rooms, changed into our ceremonial uniforms, and went to the opening ceremony. During the proceedings, we were taken aback when we saw that they had hired someone other than Professor Meridies as our Modern Magic professor. A young, plain looking woman wearing glasses and dark brown hair in a short ponytail named Hilda Johnson. With that name and appearance, she really wouldn’t stand out from among all the professors if she wasn’t the youngest one among them, even including Professor Callistis. This was, of course, worrying, as many of us seemed to assume Croix would have been back by now. We knew she regretted all the harm she caused in the end, and we wondered what could be keeping her.

We wanted to greet Professor Callistis as soon as possible anyway, but now that this happened, we had some questions for her as well, so we stayed until after the ceremony was over to talk to her.

She finally comes down from the dais, and looks towards our group with a fond smile. Akko’s smile is even bigger as she dashes over towards the redhead and wraps her in a tight hug that almost knocks her down.

“Whoa, Akko!” Urusula exclaims in a panic. “Be careful!”

“ _Ursula-Sensei!_ We’re back!” the girl announces happily, paying no attention to her teacher’s words as the rest of us approach more calmly.

The woman sighs in defeat, then returns her student’s embrace affectionately. “Welcome back, Akko…” She raises her gaze towards the rest of us. “It’s so good to see you all again,” she tells us warmly.

I smile at her. “It’s good to see you, too, Professor.” Everyone smiles and nods at my words.

Akko pulls away with a huge grin on her face. “I just have to show you my magic again, _Sensei!_ I’ve improved so much, it’s like I’m a different person!” she declares proudly.

She raises her eyebrows before turning to me. “Is this true?” she asks me.

I nod. “Yes. I was quite pleasantly surprised by how competent she is now.”

The redhead’s smile grows, and she faces Akko once more. “Then I’d love to assess your skills again.”

Hannah is the next one to speak, surprisingly enough. “Hey, um… Hate to interrupt this, but… why isn’t Professor Meridies back?” she asks the teacher.

“Yeah, what’s up with that new teacher?” Amanda chimes in.

“Um… Professor Meridies is alright… Right?” adds Lotte, worry clear in her hesitant tone. Everyone else also looks pretty worried, especially Akko.

Ursula frowns, and lowers her gaze. “Well… She has completed her community service sentence with the Ministry, but…”

“B-but…?” Akko presses when her tutor hesitates.

I notice the young teacher balling up her fists, then she averts her gaze. “Don’t worry, girls, Croix is alright. She just… She promised to do something else to atone for her actions last semester,” she explains. There’s a collective silence afterwards, as we simply don’t know how to react.

I wonder what else Professor Meridies could possibly feel responsible for, enough for her to feel like she needed to do something other than fulfill her sentence with the Ministry. _Maybe she plans to fix something… But what is there left to fix? I thought all the repercussions from her plan were already dealt with…_

“Well, what did she promise to do?” Sucy asks afterwards.

It isn’t until our teacher clenches her teeth that I notice her hesitation, and suddenly, it clicks, my eyes widening in realisation. I remember how she stopped using her broom at all after going to bring Akko back from the Wagandea tree last year. She never directly told me, but I concluded she must have been hit by that tree’s pollen. Akko already felt terrible after that day, so I assume the redhead never told anyone about it because, if Akko knew about it, she would probably feel even worse. _Croix did bring Akko there… Does she feel responsible for that? Is she planning on looking for a cure?_

It’s very clear to me that Ursula doesn’t know how to respond. She has never been a good liar. Quickly, I see the problem in the situation. If something isn’t done about it soon, our teacher might be forced to reveal the truth, and the truth could destroy Akko, even after all this time. _I don’t wanna see her cry… Not after seeing her so proud of her progress…_

I clear my throat. “Girls, Professor Callistis must be very tired after having to help set up the opening ceremony, right?” I ask her, hoping she either agrees or catches on to my plan.

She looks slightly bewildered for a moment, then nods. “R-right, I would like to rest now, if it isn’t much trouble…”

“And we should let you,” I respond, then address the other girls. “I’m sure you’re all very curious, but we really shouldn’t bother her with this sort of thing for now. Professor Meridies is very close to her, and I’m sure that, if anyone worries about her more than any of us, it’s her. We should allow her to rest up before pushing her to think about unpleasant things,” I reason.

Lotte looks like she’s in deep thought, whereas Amanda looks slightly confused. Everyone else simply looks guilty. I dislike that I’ve caused this, but it’s better than the alternative.

“But what’s wrong with us askin’ about-?” Amanda begins questioning, before Lotte raises her hand to interrupt her.

“She’s right. We should probably lay off,” she gently warns, then eyes Constanze, who raises her eyebrows in surprise. As the two smartest girls in our group, they often understand each other pretty well, and sometimes don’t even require words to communicate. Then again Constanze rarely talks, so communicating with her without speaking is not rare.

Constanze gives a small nod in response, and pulls on Amanda’s cuff to get her attention. Once the taller girl looks back at her, she shakes her head.

The American girl sighs and places her hand on her neck. “Alright, fine. Guess it was pretty rude…”

The teacher then smiles at us. “Don’t feel bad, girls, I understand how you feel. Rest assured, Croix is a very capable witch. She’ll be fine, and she’ll be back before you know it,” she informs in her kind, warm tone.

Akko smiles at her. “I guess that’s true. Sorry for pushing you about it, _Sensei._ ”

Ursula shakes her head. “It’s fine. Now, you don’t have classes until tomorrow, and I’m sure you haven’t seen each other since finals, right? Why don’t you use this time to hang out before it gets too late? I’ll see your magic tomorrow, Akko.”

She nods. “Got it. See you in class, _Sensei!_ ” she says as she turns and heads out of the room. “C’mon, everyone!”

I sigh, and notice Lotte looking at me suspiciously before we all follow Akko out. Once we’re outside, I catch sight of the Japanese girl, looking happy once more, as if nothing had happened, and I feel my heart skip a beat. I stop walking, and force myself to look away despite how alluring her adorable face is to my eyes. _Goodness, this is worse than I thought…_

Everyone notices and stops, turning towards me. “Diana? Something wrong?” asks the very same girl who just made my heart leap. _Why does she have to be the one to ask? Her kindness is going to kill me…_

“Y-yes, if everything is alright. I just… realised I have to check something with my luggage,” I quickly lie. “I fear I may have forgotten something important.”

Barbara raises her eyebrows in response. “Wait, are you gonna have to fly all the way over to the Cavendish Estate?”

“That’s… kinda far, isn’t it?” Amanda adds, who has some idea where my house is despite never having gone there simply because the subject has come up in conversation once or twice before.

I raise my hands to reassure the group. “Don’t worry, that won’t be necessary. Even if it is missing, I have a cell phone now. I can just call home and send for a servant to bring it here. I’ll just have to do it soon if I want it to arrive today,” I say.

Lotte sighs. “That’s surprisingly clumsy of you, Diana.”

“Welp, guess we shouldn’t keep you,” Sucy comments.

“It’s fine, we’ll have plenty of time to hang out over the whole school year, right?” Akko says.

I can’t help but tense up a little as I see her bright smile directed at me. “Y-yes… I’m sorry for the trouble.”

They turn to continue walking down the hallway towards the gardens, but suddenly, Akko turns again. “Also, ‘I fear.’ _Mou,_ will you stop talking like a Victorian lady already!” she teases, causing even my currently overwhelmed self to chuckle.

“Har, har, very funny, Akko,” I say as everyone laughs at her joke. “See you all later,” I say, and they respond by waving at me. I leave towards my room.

After I’m inside, I close the door and sigh as I lean against it. _Well, I certainly did run away from her just now, didn’t I?_

I head towards my bed, leaving my hat on the desk on the way, and throw myself on top of the mattress, emptily staring at the ceiling with my arms lying limply at my sides, outstretched.

 _I cannot risk the others in the group finding out before I’ve decided whether I want to go for it or not…_ I think. _I managed to cover it up today, but if I keep reacting like that when I see her, it’s only going to become more difficult…_ I place my arm on top of my eyes in frustration. _Should I avoid her…? No, that would be too suspicious, and besides, with how lovestruck I seem to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if the urge to see her got too great to bear eventually._ I sigh once more. _I guess it’s good that we already spent so much time together right before summer, so being with her a lot wouldn’t be suspicious, but… only if I manage to act normal around her._ I remove my arm from my eyes, take a pillow, look at it for a while, then press it against my face in frustration. _How am I going to do that, though…?_ “What a way for one to realise they’re homosexual…” I mutter in frustration as I remove the pillow. “I guess that’s why I never found Andrew even remotely attractive…”

I can’t concentrate on anything else for the rest of the early evening, and end up writing in my diary to try and calm myself down. I can’t help but blush after reading the entry, though, as it very clearly states my feelings for the adorable Japanese girl. When I hear the door opening, along with Barbara and Hannah’s voices, I tense up and quickly close the journal. I manage to act pretty normal the rest of the evening, though.

* * *

“Shit! Why in the world did that old hag send me to the bloody Scottish Highlands!?” I question out loud, frustrated about having to use my hands to climb up the frigid rockface. “These gloves are useless!” After realising I’m not talking to anyone, I sigh and put my palm to my forehead. _I started talking by myself out of frustration again…_

After taking a sample from the buds of the Wagandea tree, I analysed it to try and understand the pollen’s chemical composition, then started researching about each of the substances I found to identify which ones caused a witch to lose her ability to fly. There was one of them that I couldn’t identify myself, though, and couldn’t find anything about it even in all the books I consulted, so instead, I went to Scotland to visit an old friend named Abigail Kendrick, who I met during the travels I went on after I graduated. She’s very old, and knows a lot about potions and magical components, even things most people wouldn’t know, so I thought she might help.

Upon seeing the list of components, she immediately realised it was meant to be Wangadea’s pollen. However, for some reason, she decided she wouldn’t help me for free.

“You’ll go get something for me, Croix, and then I’ll help you. I need some highland glowshrooms, which only grow within the highest caves of the Scottish Highlands.”

 _I’m going for Chariot’s sake, not for that greedy old hag! She can forget about getting favours from me ever again!_ I mentally declare as I hoist myself up onto more stable ground. Since I don’t have access to many of my devices anymore, and because of the common heavy winter winds, I couldn’t have flown up here, so I had to climb. At least I seem to be pretty high up already. It took a few days, but I finally did it. _At least the bloody hag had the decency to give me camping and climbing supplies._

I look around and notice a cave not very far to my left, and I sigh. _That would be the third one I check today… Please let the fucking mushrooms be in there…_

I walk into the cave, thankful that it’s slightly warmer inside, and pull out my wand to light up the area as I push my hood down and remove my goggles.

I slowly make my way inside, expecting to find something like a pack of wolves or something equally dangerous or preposterous, considering my recent luck. However, there doesn’t seem to be anything alive inside the cave, other than myself. I eventually reach a grotto, and when I start wading through it, I step on something that definitely isn’t stone. I look down to check what it is, and I’m surprised to see bones under the water. There seem to be three complete human skeletons here, along with three swords. _Well, that’s not creepy at all…_

I look towards the other side of the grotto, and see something glowing. My eyes widen in surprise. _Could that be!?_ I rush towards the glow, and I’m delighted to find that these are the mushrooms Abigail wanted. I put down my backpack, pull the knife she gave me to cut the mushrooms with, and begin harvesting them, placing them into the bag.

Once I’m done, I sigh in relief, but before I can close my bag and get back up, I hear a weird rattling sound. I stop and frown, confused, and then realise something, which makes all the colour in my face go away. _No way…_

I quickly turn around to find the three skeletons are now standing up, holding their weapons, and heading straight toward me, their eyes glowing red. Their bones rattle as they menacingly advance toward me.

Without thinking, I transform my wand into a magical blade, like Chariot had done to fight me all those months ago, and hold it up to defend myself. The closest one charges at me and swings downwards, but I quickly block and retaliate, slashing sideways and breaking off its spine, causing the top of its body to crash against the rocky ground, scattering the bones all over the ground.

The second one is a little more careful, though, as it swings sideways and makes me jump back so I can dodge. Then the third one comes and swings downwards, but I sidestep and kick it, pushing it back. The second one comes at me again, sending a particularly vicious upward slice my away. I end up having to press myself tightly against the wall to my right, but then I throw myself at the undead warrior, pushing it back, and quickly stab my sword into the other one’s eye socket as it approaches, separating its skull from its body, making the latter collapse.

I then swing towards the one remaining, sending the skull flying towards it. The two skulls collide, causing a hollow thud to echo across the cave. My weapon goes back to being a wand, and I take aim at my enemy. “Murowa!” I yell with all my power, and the heat blast sends bones flying everywhere.

I double over to catch my breath. “This is bad… This is definitely the work of a necromancer!”

I turn towards the bag and quickly close it before making my way out once more. _I gotta get outta here and contact Chariot!_ I think. _A necromancer being active can only mean evil witches are active once more, and that applies to the entire world now that Yggdrasil has been revived! Luna Nova may be in danger!_


	3. Back into the Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Croix contacts Ursula about what happened at the highlands. At the same time, the students of Luna Nova are now in classes, like normal, but things are definitely strange between two very specific students, at least according to their friends...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was almost not done on time. Holy shit, uni's been killing me lately. I'm not doing bad on grades, but it's just a lot to keep track of...
> 
> Anyways, I'm not here to rant. This chapter is kinda long, again, but I think you guys don't really mind that. XD We might see some important development soon!
> 
> Please, enjoy!

“Chariot, I’m telling you!” Croix’s frustrated and desperate voice yells at me from the telephone I’m currently using to talk to her. “You really need to be careful from now on.” She’s agitated to such a degree that I’m beginning to worry about her…

“And I’m telling you, that cave was way out of the way of everything,” I try to reason with her. “Isn’t it way likelier that those skeletons that attacked you were just a residual curse activated by you entering the cave?”

She sighs. “I mean, I guess, but… you know I have a point, right?”

“About what, exactly?”

“Think about it,” she prefaces. “Yggdrasil has been revived. That means that there’ll be a huge increase in the magic user population of the world, and they’ll be able to freely use their magic whenever they please. Considering that, don’t you think there’s a high chance for at least a small percentage of those new magic users being less than reputable people who will be able to use their magic for bad things?”

I frown and fall silent.  _ I guess that does make sense. _ “Why talk about this now, though? You weren’t worried about that much when you were trying to release the seal on the Grand Triskelion.”

She groans in response. “You know I don’t like being reminded of that…” she grumbles. “And yeah, I admit I wasn’t really thinking about the possibility back then… I just wanted to bring magic back to the world, honestly…”

It’s my turn to sigh now. “Yes, I know. Sorry about reminding you, Croix.”

“It’s fine, you didn’t do it to antagonise me.”

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Well… Maybe I was panicking too much just now, but I’d still like you to be at least a little wary. Don’t be too quick to trust anyone who hasn’t been at the school for a long time already, both teachers and students, and also, keep an eye on the news, and discuss this with the other trustworthy teachers.”

“Would we really be able to do anything if witches with bad intentions show up?” I question.

“Luna Nova is the second most important magic institution in the world, only behind the Ministry. Maybe pressure from the faculty will be enough for the Ministry to implement some sort of magic police, or something,” she argues.

I hum thoughtfully in response. “You have a point…”

“Also, the school should take the necessary precautions, too. I know Magic Law is a compulsory course, and Lukić scaring the living daylights out of the students is pretty good, but they should also have a tighter surveillance system, to stop students who might still want to try anything dodgy,” she says. “Fear of punishment doesn’t really stop everyone.” She pauses for a moment before hurrying to add something else. “O-of course, I’m not suggesting the faculty should start invading the students’ privacy, b-but you know…”

I smile after hearing this. “I’ll see what I can do, don’t worry.”

She sighs again, though out of relief instead of frustration. “Thanks. I just… If we’re not prepared for this, things will get ugly down the line. There was already enough anti-magic sentiment in the world before Yggdrasil was revived, and well… You do know what happened last time witches weren’t prepared to deal with their bad counterparts while tensions with the non-magic world were high.”

I fall silent and close my eyes. “The Inquisition…” I mutter.

“Yeah…” Croix responds. “And if shit hits the fan, Luna Nova will probably be targeted, as well… Of course, I care about the school, but… if something happens to you…” her voice becomes quieter towards the end of her words, but they still make my heart leap a bit.

“I know, Croix…” I tell her. “Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do.” A pause. “Please be safe… I want to see you again, you know.”

She chuckles in response. “Don’t worry about a thing! I have no intentions of failing this quest! You’ll see me before long, and we’ll have a celebratory broom race!”

I smile in response to this. “Yes!”

* * *

Who knew school could actually be rewarding! Huh, I guess Diana must be rubbing off on me. Well, I’ll say that’s a good thing if it also gives me at least part of her talent!

It’s been a few weeks since the start of classes, and even I can tell things are going to be very different this school year! I loved the look on Professor Finnelan’s face when I managed to prepare an entire meal without using my hands by levitating everything. Even Diana almost laughed when she saw the teacher might as well have had to pick her jaw up off the floor. Instructor Nelson’s face was also priceless when I went through an entire obstacle course on my broom without problems. I didn’t have the best time among the class, but it also wasn’t the worst. I’d call that a win for now, but I’ll definitely try for better results next time!

Today, we’re in class with Professor Badcock. We were instructed to morph a block of rock into a discobolus statue, because of course. Normal discobolus statues are kind of boring, though, so I decide to make it cuter by giving it bunny ears. I smile at the class as they all laugh at my little addition, but then comes the professor herself to comment on the statue.

“While your execution of the spell was good, Miss Kagari, I fail to understand why you added those… things,” she says, pointing at the bunny ears.

I shrug in response. “I thought I’d make it cuter and more original. All these statues that all look the same were getting kind of stale.”

She sighs, sounding disappointed. “The instructions were not for you to give your creative input, Miss Kagari. I’m afraid I’m going to have to give you a lower grade…”

I frown, and open my mouth to protest, but Diana beats me to it. “Professor, no offense, but are you serious?” she asks, sounding firm. I’m surprised by her actually stepping in for me, so I look at her with raised eyebrows.

The teacher also raises her eyebrows in surprise at the star student’s protest. “Yes! Of course I’m serious! Disregard for instructions is grounds for lowering grades!”

Diana places her hand on her forehead in frustration. “Professor Badcock, is this school dedicated to nurturing witches? Or was it military cadets? Since when were witches forbidden from being creative? Akko here wants to be a performer when she grows up, so I think her creativity should be commended, not punished.”

I can’t help but stare with a slack jaw at my friend. She had never defended me like this from a teacher, much less talked back like that to pretty much anyone. Everyone else in class is also pretty stunned, including the professor. She keeps trying to say something, but nothing resembling words even manages to come out of her mouth at first. “B-but it’s the rules!” she finally manages to say.

Diana simply scoffs in response. “May I take my turn next?” she asks, making me raise an eyebrow at her.

Professor Badcock clears her throat and places her hands behind her back. “Proceed.”

Diana turns to her block of rock and points her wand at it. “ _ Oruihon Deyantz! _ ” she chants, and the rock transforms into…

Well… That’s definitely a discobolus, but… Well, it’s throwing a snake instead of a disk.

While there’s a collective gasp in the room, Diana speaks. “He’s taking care of the rules-obsessed viper who wants to crush creativity for us. What a good man,” she comments with an amused smirk on her face.

That’s it. I just can’t take any more. I begin laughing loudly while the teacher gapes dumbly at the statue. Everyone else starts laughing as well afterwards.

“Let’s make this class more fun!” one of the other girls announces, pulling her wand out.

“Good! This was getting boring!” comments another one.

Before long, the rest of the students stop waiting for their turns before making their own discoboli, and they all have some sort of cute, funny or cool variation, all of them original. Even those who already took their turn start modifying their own statues. Lotte gets in on it and makes hers a vampire, while Sucy’s is throwing a vial of poison. Barbara’s has cat features, and Hannah’s is dressed like a chef. The latter two grin at each other before sharing a high five.

Professor Badcock has pretty much been entirely forgotten. She’s at a complete loss about what to do, and decides to quietly exit the classroom.

“Well, seems like we really did take care of the viper,” Diana says, then sighs. “I feel a bit bad, to be honest…”

I stand beside her and place my hands behind my back, smiling at her. “Why did you do it, then?”

She looks at me for a moment, and her body tenses up slightly before she averts her gaze, closing her eyes, crossing her arms, and frowning a little. “I just… I thought it was unfair,” she explains, though she’s talking more slowly than normal.

I raise an eyebrow, a little confused at her reaction. Diana really has been weird ever since the school year started. She seems more careless, somehow, and less composed. She also seems to have trouble looking me in the eyes, which she doesn’t do as much anymore, and she tends to speak more slowly when talking to me. She still hangs around me about as much as she did before, though. It’s been a real head-scratcher. I thought I did something wrong at first, but then I thought that she probably wouldn’t behave like this if that was the case. I ended up commenting about it to Sucy and Lotte one night…

* * *

“Maybe she’s in love with you,” Sucy said jokingly after I brought the subject up.

Of course, I laughed. “No way! She’s too mature for that!”

Lotte and Sucy looked at each other and shrugged, which confused me a little.

“Wait, guys, what does that mean?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Sucy responds.

“You know, Diana does a lot of things we would probably never understand, not being, you know…” Lotte says, trailing off.

“Filthy stinkin’ rich,” Sucy finishes.

Lotte releases a small nervous laughter. “Yeah, that.” She looks towards me again. “If you really wanted to know, you could ask her. You two are close now, right?”

“Hmm… I guess,” I responded, and then the subject was changed. I never really asked her after that, though. For some reason, thinking about the possible answers to that makes me a bit nervous…

* * *

Back to the present, I sigh, then smile at Diana again. “Well, thanks for standing up for me.”

Diana eyes me for a moment, then averts her eyes once more. “You’re welcome…” she mutters in response.

I look at our surroundings, noting that class seems to be over, even if unofficially. “So, I guess we got the rest of the period free,” I tell Diana, facing her again. “Do you wanna hang out until our next class?”

Diana looks at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise, and takes a moment to answer. “Oh, uh… How much time do we even have left?”

I pull my phone out and check. “About… forty minutes.”

She blinks a couple times in disbelief. “Sheesh, we have way more time than I thought…” she says, then places her hand on her chin, as if she’s thinking about something.

I put my phone back in my pocket. “So… wanna hang out or not?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” she responds a bit too emphatically.

I raise an eyebrow, puzzled. “You okay there?”

“Yes. Sorry, just a little distracted,” she quickly responds, waving her hand dismissively.

That makes me giggle a little. “You’re so weird, Diana!” I tell her jokingly.

She blinks again. “I-I’m weird?” she asks, looking a bit stunned.

I giggle again. “Don’t worry about it! I’ll go look for the others, then, and we can hang out!” I announce, and turn around to head towards Sucy, Lotte, Hannah and Barabara, who have already gathered to chat, to bring them over.

However, Diana stops me. “Actually, wait,” she asks, and I turn and face her once more. “There are… some things I’d like to discuss with you, Akko.”

“ _ Ettou…  _ That sounds kind of scary…” I comment, letting a nervous chuckle out afterwards as I rub the back of my neck.

She frowns in confusion. “What…?” Then she raises her eyebrows and begins waving her hands in front of herself, like she had said something she didn’t mean. “I mean, I just want to talk to you!” she clarifies. “Nothing too serious!”

“Oh.” I laugh afterwards. “ _ Mou,  _ you and your high class vocabulary!”

She averts her eyes, looking slightly ashamed as she folds her hands in front of herself. “I’m sorry…”

“Oh, you don’t need to apologise!” I reassure her, waving my hand dismissively. “The way you speak is charming!” I tell her honestly.

She looks incredibly surprised by my words, though she clears her throat after a few moments without saying much. “Well, thank you. Anyways, shall we?” she asks as she gestures towards the door.

I nod in response, and then we head out into the hallway. “So, what did you want to talk about?” I ask her as we walk down the hallway.

“Hmm… Well, let’s see…” she prefaces, placing her hand on her chin. “I’ve been… researching your culture recently…”

I look at her with my eyebrows raised in surprise. “You’ve been researching Japanese culture? Why?”

“Well… I just became curious, I suppose,” she responds. “To be honest, I’ve been finding it very interesting.”

I reply with a thoughtful hum. “Unexpected, but I’ll take it!”

“I even found out there is a tradition of magic specific Japan called the… Um, the on-my-oh-gee?” she says, completely butchering the pronunciation of the term.

I burst out laughing at that, which makes her sigh in defeat.

“I know, my pronunciation is awful…” she says, looking down at the floor in frustration.

I smile at her. “ _ Onmyoji.  _ That’s how you pronounce it.”

“ _ Onmyoji… _ ” she repeats. “Like that?”

I grin and show her both of my thumbs. “Perfect! You’ll be speaking Japanese in no time!” I tell her jokingly, then laugh a little.

She doesn’t respond for a moment, as if he was seriously considering what I said, then simply went back to what she wanted to say. “Anyway, while their magic might exist for the very specific purpose of communicating and interacting with, and sometimes controlling, spirits and the ilk, their tradition seemed very interesting to me.” She then looks at me. “Why have you never even mentioned them before?”

I tilt my head to the side, humming in thought. “Well, I didn’t really think anyone here would be interested in that, and to be honest, while their magic is useful, I… find it kind of boring,” I confess, rubbing the back of my neck while laughing nervously.

She sighs again. “Of course. That makes complete sense and I should have expected as much,” she says, slightly exasperated.

I pout in response. “Oi, what are you implying?”

As she looks at me, her eyes widen slightly, and then she simply averts them. “Nothing! Nothing…” she hurries to respond. “You’re just… Well, you like things flashy and exciting. Anything less isn’t really worth your time.”

I chuckle in response. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I respond. “What else did you want to talk about?”

“Well… I just want you to know that you haven’t done anything wrong,” she suddenly says.

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“I… I know I’ve been acting strange lately, and it must be weighing on you, so… I just wanted to reassure you, it’s all,” she explains as she avoids looking at me.

I raise my eyebrows, and then sigh.  _ She’s way too smart… No way I can compete with that. _ “Well, if I haven’t done anything, then why have you been acting so weird?”

“That’s… private,” she says, the faintest hint of a blush appearing on her cheeks, which is kind of shocking, though I say nothing. “I… may tell you later, but I’m simply not ready for it at the present time.”

I feel a bit frustrated about being deflected like that, but I guess I understand. “Well, alright…” I make a pause to change the subject, grinning a bit. “So, the Broom Relay Race is coming up soon.”

She smiles in response. “I presume you’re telling me this because you want to participate this year again, right?”

I nod vigorously. “Yes! You’re entering too, right?”

“Of course. There’s no way I won’t defend my title as winner of the race last year.”

I chuckle in response. “I’m looking forward to racing against you, Diana!”

* * *

After Diana and Akko walk out of the classroom, I turn towards Barbara, Sucy and Lotte, who I had been talking to already. “Have you guys noticed just how weird Diana’s been acting lately?” I ask them.

Lotte and Sucy look at each other, then the former speaks. “Just… Diana…?”

“Diana’s the weirdest of the two, sure, but Akko’s also acting weird,” Sucy clarifies.

I raise one eyebrow in response. “Wait… Has Akko been acting any differently?”

“She used to tell everything to us first, considering we’re her roommates, but lately, she goes out of her way to let Diana know about things that happen before anyone else,” Lotte explains. “She did that when Professor Callistis congratulated her on her progress, for example.”

Sucy nods. “And there was also that stunt she pulled on the first day, remember?”

Barbara chimes in next. “Oh, right! When she literally sweeped Diana off her feet on her broom?”

Both Lotte and Sucy nod in response. “She has done other things similar to that since then, though in a lower scale,” Lotte comments.

I chuckle afterwards. “Yeah, I guess you guys have a point. The funniest part is that you don’t even know what Diana gets up to in privacy.”

Barbara nods. “She’s been researching Japan lately, for some reason. We even caught her watching a Japanese animated show the other night.”

Both of Akko’s roommates look stunned, their eyes as wide as the moon. “Wait, wait, wait. Diana was watching anime?” Lotte questions in disbelief.

Sucy, meanwhile, places her hand on her forehead, looking down at the floor. “This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my life.”

Both Barbara and I snort in response. “Yeah, we thought so, too!” I tell them, amused.

“What do you guys make of this?” Barbara asks them.

They look at each other again, then Sucy speaks. “The other day, when Akko talked to us about how Diana was acting, I jokingly suggested that Diana may be in love with her, but after looking at it more closely…”

Lotte sighs. “We think Diana may be crushing on Akko, and… well, Akko may actually be returning those feelings without even being conscious of it.”

Sucy nods. “When I said that, Akko laughed it off and claimed that Diana is too mature for that… whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

Barbara raises her eyebrows and raises her hands to indicate them to pause for a moment. “Wait, wait a minute…”

“Wouldn’t that mean… that Diana’s…?” I say, frowning a little.

After I trail off, Sucy completes my question for me. “Gay?”

Both Barbara and I chuckle nervously. “Y-yeah, I guess…” I answer.

Lotte shrugs in response. “I mean, I guess it would, but would that really be such a problem?”

I quickly shake my head. “No, no, of course not!” I avert my eyes and scratch the side of my neck. “It’s just… a little weird to think about, I guess…”

Barbara looks deep in thought for a moment, and then speaks. “Now that I think about it…” she begins, then lets out a small chuckle. “It’s… kinda cute for Diana to crush on Akko like that, after all they’ve been through together.”

I look at her for a moment, caught a bit off-guard, and then burst out laughing. “Dear Jennifer, Barbara! You sure do love your romantic stories!”

She pouts and looks at me with slight indignation while both Lotte and Sucy chuckle in amusement. “Th-that’s mean, Hannah! Their relationship is not a novel!” However, she can’t help chuckling a little afterwards.

“Well, what should we do? Set them up?” Sucy asks us after everyone calms down a little. “Honestly, seeing them dance around each other is kind of frustrating.” This comment elicits a nervous chuckle from Lotte.

“Uh… I would wait a little,” I respond. “We’re still only guessing at this point. I think maybe we should help only after we know that what we’re imagining is actually the truth.”

Lotte nods in agreement. “Yeah, sounds reasonable.”

After that, we decide to head to the next classroom, continuing the conversation until class begins. Diana and Akko enter the room a couple minutes before it begins, looking somewhat happy. I guess I can see what Barbara’s seeing now. I can’t help but smile a little as I see them.

* * *

Later, at night, Diana has already gotten back to our room before us. As we’re heading back, Barbara speaks to me. “So, what do you think of what we talked about with Lotte and Sucy earlier today?”

“Hm? Oh… Well, it’s still unexpected, but if it is true, I think I can live with it.”

She chuckles to herself as she thinks about something. “How weird would it be if they actually started dating, though?”

I chuckle as well. “It would be pretty weird and hilarious, yeah, but if it makes them happy…”

She smiles in response. “Yeah…”

We reach the door of our dorm room and open it to find Diana pacing around the room, her hand on her chin. She speaks immediately, though she doesn’t face us at first.

“Hannah, Barbara, I apologise, but… I need to ask you two a bit of a… strange question,” she announces, and finally turns to face us, and we see her blushing, which is quite shocking on its own. “Please… close the door.”

We look at each other in confusion, then do as instructed. “Okay… What’s up?” I ask her for both of us.

“What do you two think of…” she pauses, her blush getting redder as she slowly rubs her arm bashfully. “H-homosexuality…?”

Barbara and I look at each other with wide eyes after that. “Oh…” we utter in unison.

I guess we don’t need much more confirmation than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the first part of the next chapter is gonna be pretty funny. XD Also, upcoming Broom Relay Race!!! Let's see how Akko does while actually being able to fly... next chapter!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	4. The Race

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana talks to Barbara and Hannah about her feelings for Akko. A few days later, Diana invites Akko on an outing into town. Finally, the day of the Broom Relay Race arrives!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK!!!
> 
> Whew, that was quite the ride. Sorry for being on hiatus for two whole weeks. I needed some time to de-stress as well as getting all my uni stuff done.
> 
> Speaking of which, I wanted to talk bout what happened with my stress levels, and how they relate to my writing. To be honest, even though I write because I want to, it also became a source of stress, and I do not want to allow that. I was honestly really close to just dropping my writing entirely because of it, and I don't want that. As such, I've decided to not allow that to happen again, and that will require achange in how I do things.
> 
> I am sorry to say, but updates will no longer be weekly. Or at least, not guaranteed to be. New chapters for this story will go up on Fridays, but if I post on any given Friday, depending on how busy I am, a chapter may not go up the next Friday. However, I will at least try to keep rests like those to just one week from now on.
> 
> This will also apply to my other two stories, which will be going up on Saturdays and Sundays, under the same rules, but I will start updating those again next week.
> 
> Anyways, on with the chapter!

The moments after I say those words are the most tense in my entire life so far. Hannah and Barbara both look shocked after I ask them that unbelievably awkward question, but… I’m surprised to see they don’t actually look as shocked as I was expecting.

Soon after, Hannah clears her throat. “Let’s sit down to have this conversation, alright?” she proposes.

They both proceed to sit down on her bed, while I sit on Barbara’s bed, facing them. “I… I’m sorry for springing this on you so suddenly, it had just…” I take a deep breath. “Made me really nervous…”

As I fix my gaze on my lap, my hands resting there, I see both of them reaching out and each taking one of my hands. I look up at them, my eyebrows raised, and see them smiling.

“Diana, please, calm down,” Barbara says. “It’s okay, really.”

“We never really expected… this, but to answer your question…” Hannah continues, shrugging to emphasise her point. “We don’t really care one way or the other.”

“R-really?” I ask them in disbelief.

They both nod. “Yeah. You can like whoever you want, Diana,” reassures Barbara.

I sigh in relief, and they both let go of my hands. “Thanks, you two,” I tell them with a smile.

“So, if you’re telling us this, then I assume it’s because there’s someone you fancy,” Hannah says in a coy tone, smirking playfully. “A girl, to be exact.” This makes Barbara chuckle a little.

I end up averting my gaze as I place my hand on the side of my neck, my cheeks heating up. “Y-yes… There is… I… didn’t even realise I was… this way before I noticed I was… attracted to this girl,” I admit slowly, embarrassed.

Barbara giggles once more. “Well, who is this girl lucky enough to have Diana Cavendish’s attention, hmm?”

I look at them for a moment, then I sigh in defeat, placing both of my hands on my lap once more. “You’ll laugh when I say so… It’s Akko,” I confess, lowering my head in embarrassment once more.

They both laugh a bit, but I’m surprised by how fast their reaction is, and by the fact that they didn’t really laugh much.  _ Were they expecting that?  _ I raise my head again.

“Yeah, figures,” Hannah comments after she calms down.

“Can’t believe Lotte and Sucy totally called it!” Barbara adds.

My eyebrows shoot upward faster than the Shooting Star broom Akko used in the last Broom Relay Race, and which also showed up when we went up against the missile. “Wait, what!?” I question them, standing up. “Did Lotte and Sucy know?”

“Calm down, Diana,” Barbara says, still looking somewhat amused.

“They had their suspicions, but they weren’t really sure,” Hannah informs.

This information doesn’t reassure me at all. I plop back down on the bed and bury my face in my palms in frustration. “I’ve been too obvious! What if Akko herself finds out!?”

“Nah, I don’t think you should worry about that,” Hannah responds, leaning back with her palm on the bed behind her, looking pretty relaxed. I move my hands back down to look at her with interest.

“Akko might be more competent and less prone to accidents nowadays, but she’s still… very oblivious,” Barbara sumarises. “Sucy told us she jokingly suggested to Akko that you were in love with her a few days ago, and she just… laughed it off.”

Hannah nods in response. “Yeah. According to them, she said something about you being too mature. They didn’t understand, and neither did us.”

I frown in response. “Well, it’s reassuring she’s not aware, but…” I place my hand on my chin. “That is indeed a strange argument…”

I look at my side of the room for a moment, then quickly stand up and go around the bookcase to sit on my desk, pulling up the browser on my new laptop.

Shortly afterwards, my two roommates approach me and look at the screen over my shoulders. “What are you doing?” Barbara asks.

“That argument is just too strange, and doesn’t even sound like something Akko would say. At least not to me,” I explain while I type away. “My understanding about Japanese society is that, while they are not nearly as bad as other east Asian countries, they are still very conservative and behind the times in these sorts of subjects, so… Aha!”

“Did you find something?” Hannah asks.

“Apparently, female homosexuality is seen as a sign of immaturity in Japan, in which young girls mistake their feelings of friendship for other, similarly-aged girls for romantic feelings due to lack of experience.” I informed the other two, according to what I read on the screen. “It’s often thought that girls who present homosexual inclinations in their middle school and high school years will naturally grow out of it soon enough, and that it’s strange and not very well seen for a girl to continue having these inclinations as an adult.”

“What!? That’s bull!” Hannah exclaims, slamming her palm on the desk and leaning closer to try and read it for herself, a frown on her face.

“It is ridiculous,” Barbara agrees, her arms crossed. “Who would even come up with such a weird theory?”

I sigh. “Probably a traditionalistic culture that sees things like homosexuality as unnatural, and which hasn’t had much of a chance to modernise itself in its social views…” I respond. “Anyways, we can’t really do much to change societal views on this, and if even Akko shares this view…”

They both turn to me, looking a little worried as I close the laptop and sigh in defeat, lowering my gaze. Then they smile at me, placing their hands on my shoulders, which makes me raise my head once more, looking at them.

“I think we have some good news on that front, actually,” Hannah says.

“Akko may be oblivious to her own feelings, as well,” Barbara informs.

I frown in confusion. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Well…” Hannah begins. “Remember the first day this semester?” I nod in response. “When she carried you on her broom?” she continues, and I nod again, though more slowly.

“Don’t you think someone who thinks of you as just a friend wouldn’t do that sort of thing?” Barbara asks me.

“Uh… No, I don’t…” I reply. I honestly hadn’t even thought about it.

They both grin in response. “There you have it!” Barbara continues. “Lotte and Sucy also told us you’re the first person she goes to for anything ever since the school year began.”

“Really?” I ask her, my eyes wide, and she nods happily.

“The problem is, uh…” Hannah begins. “Making her notice her feelings without being… too forceful,” she says, frowning.

I sigh. That’s definitely a complicated problem…

* * *

Some time has passed since my conversation with Hannah and Barbara about my feelings for Akko. I acted like I had so far this school year at first, but eventually, my roommates suggested I should invite the girl on a date. I was reluctant at first, but they eventually said it didn’t need to be anything too overt. I could just buy her a cup of tea in Blytonbury over the weekend, if I wanted to. So that’s exactly what I decided to do. One day, I decided to invite her to drink some tea together at Last Wednesday Society, like we did months ago when she ran off after learning why she couldn’t use magic at first. Of course, the situation is a lot more lighthearted this time, but I still fondly remember the place as one of the first ones where we managed to bond on a deeper level.

Today is the day of the date. On Barbara and Hannah’s recommendation, I got dressed in a simple, pale yellow midi dress with sandals. They insisted I dressed casually, after all. After getting ready, I departed for the leyline. We agreed to meet up there since we would both come from campus.

When I make it to the leyline terminal, I see that she hasn’t yet arrived. Of course, that isn’t really unexpected when I confirm that I have arrived early. I sigh, somewhat bothered at how I allowed my nerves to make me stress so much about punctuality that I ended up arriving ten whole minutes early. Knowing Akko, she’ll either be right on time or late by a few minutes.

Resigned to wait, I sit down on a nearby bench, resting my chin on my palm. I’m usually a patient person, but the prospect of going on a date with Akko just makes me so nervous that I fidget the entire time.  _ I didn’t really refer to our meeting as a date, so what if she thinks this is just a friendly outing? Would I be alright with that?  _ I wonder.  _ But what if she does understand my intentions? I’m still not sure if she actually does like me… What if she hates me? What if she decides not to come…? But what if she does come, and things go from there, and… Well, Barbara and Hannah approved of it, but what about the others? What about my family? I’m sure Aunt Daryl will never let me hear the end of it… _

Those thoughts make me more and more nervous. I bite my lower lip, repeatedly shift my position on the bench, and pick at my dress. I almost panic and flee, but the moment I decide to stand up, I hear Akko’s voice approaching from the side.

“Dianaaaaa!” she happily exclaims as she sees me, waving at me. She’s wearing jean shorts and a simple T-shirt along with a jacket and boots. I suppose she’s not as used to the cold of England as I am, but she looks cute nonetheless.

It makes me stop in place after standing up, and I turn to face her. I’m feeling way too nervous to say anything, and it really doesn’t help that, when she reaches me, she joyfully wraps her free arm around me, laughing. I can feel my cheeks heating up.

“Wh-what are you doing?” I ask her, tensing up.

“I’m happy to see you!” she explains, giving me another squeeze as she giggles a bit. She pulls away and takes one of my hands in both of hers. “You’ve never invited me out like this, so I was excited!”

“Ah…” I’m struggling to come up with a coherent response, as I really did not expect her to embrace me. “W-well, I thought it would be… e-enjoyable to… spend some time together…”

She giggles, smiling at me. “Well, let’s get started!” she declares, pulling me by the hand towards the terminal, never letting go, with a huge grin on her face. Once there, she gets on her broom, which she had been carrying the entire time, waits for me to get on behind her, and then lifts off. She insisted on giving me a ride to Blytonbury herself, to make up for her embarrassing mistake at the beginning of the year, so I ended up coming without my broom. I’m a bit hesitant about holding onto her for support at first, but she encourages it, so I end up slowly wrapping my arms around her waist. Doing this is embarrassing, but also strangely comforting. I end up leaning against her affectionately a little, despite myself. I notice it soon enough, but she doesn’t really give much of a reaction, so I decide to indulge myself just this once.

Soon enough, we arrive at Blytonbury, and walk into Last Wednesday Society, where the owner greets us with a friendly smile and a nod. We seem to be the only customers, but then again, that isn’t exactly rare for this establishment.

We each get a cup of tea and sit at a table, across from each other. As she holds the cup between her hands for warmth, Akko smiles at me, then looks around herself, admiring the quaint little café we’re in.

“This place really brings me memories…” she says, almost sounding nostalgic.

I raise an eyebrow. “Really?”

She looks at me and nods. “Yeah, I came here with Lotte and Sucy quite a bit before summer!” she says, but sighs afterwards. “Though, my happiest memory of this place is, well…” She begins to blush slightly. “The conversation we had after you found me in the snow, when  _ Ursula-sensei _ explained she had taken my magic away…” she confesses.

There’s no way I could ever forget what happened back then. I found her sitting on a bench in the snow, without proper protection from the cold, with eyes so lifeless and defeated, I almost didn’t recognise her. I even panicked for a moment, because she looked like she would just freeze to death if she stayed there. I practically had to drag her here, while telling myself to keep my cool for her sake. I almost freaked out through that entire conversation, but I gritted my teeth and talked to her as calmly as I could, because I knew that me losing my composure would have only made things worse. Akko needed someone to encourage her, not to yell at her.

I sigh in response after the memory, giving the girl an honest smile. “I’m honestly glad I could help back then… If I’m being honest, I… didn’t really know if what I was doing would work, and… Well, it was very hard for me to admit to all the things I did,” I say, chuckling a little at my own expense.

“I’m glad you said all that, too,” she says, looking into my eyes. “If you hadn’t been there for me, I… I probably would have quit on being a witch, and… Well, who knows what would have happened with my life after that. I would have probably grown up to be a grumpy clerk at a convenience store somewhere in Japan,” she says, and chuckles at the mental image, like I had done. “You… You gave me back my dream, Diana, and… I never said it before, but I’m… incredibly grateful for it.”

I can feel my heart warming as I listen to her words, and I notice her eyes watering a little. I frown. “Wait, are you crying?”

She raises her eyebrows, surprised, then snickers as she reaches up and wipes the few tears away. “Sorry, I’m getting emotional,” she says, laughing a bit more. “You know me, I get like this sometimes.”

We both laugh after that, knowing how true that is. After we quiet down, I speak again. “I honestly didn’t know you thought about it that way… I’m really happy I prevented you from becoming a grumpy store clerk.” We laugh even more after my remark. Though said jokingly, I really am glad I managed to snap her back into her old self before it was too late.

After that, we fall into more casual conversation about recent and upcoming events in school, all while we enjoy tea and some snacks. After we’ve had enough, we pay for our meal, then Akko takes my hand again and leads me out of the store. It still surprises me when she takes my hand so readily, but considering she already did it earlier, it’s not as surprising as before.

“I’m really excited for the Broom Relay Race, by the way! It’s less than a week away!” she announces on the way back, while taking us back to Luna Nova.

I chuckle in response, holding onto her like before. “I won’t make it easy for you, you know?”

“Of course! I’d be mad at you if you did!” she responds, slightly fired up.

I chuckle again. “I’m honestly very excited, too… I think the race this year will be very interesting…”

* * *

A few days go by, and all of a sudden, the day of the race is upon us. Hannah, Barbara and I have been practicing quite a lot recently, and I’ve noticed both Akko and Amanda, along with their teams, practicing quite a bit recently, too. Apparently, they promised not to cheat this time around, and have been making up for the unavailability of this choice by making sure they can compete through skill alone.

After Headmistress Holbrooke’s speech and Instructor Nelson’s explanation of the race, we all line up in our positions at the different stations of the circuit. Just like the previous year, Hannah, Jasminka and Sucy are at the starting line, Barbara, Constanze and Lotte at the first station, while Amanda, Akko and myself are at the second and final station, on the landing bridge of the New Moon Tower.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the 1334th Luna Nova Cup is about to start!” Wangari announces to the audience through her microphone, in her characteristically booming and excited tone, from her floating observation platform. “The competitors have all already taken their places in their stations and are just waiting for the whistle to be blown! The competition this year looks fierce! I’ve heard rumours that even the least popular teams of last year have a chance this year!”

After Wangari’s introduction, Instructor Nelson steps in front of the starting line, facing the competitors there while holding her whistle.

“And there is Instructor Nelson, about to start them off!” Wangari announces.

The instructor raises her empty hand, showing three fingers. After a second, she lowers one of them, and in another second, she lowers another, only to blow on her whistle the next second.

A collective “ _ Tia Freyre! _ ” can be heard from the starting line as all the competitors lift off and speed forward.

“And there they go!” Wangari announces.

As I look towards the first leg of the circuit, I see Hannah quickly overtaking the competition, with Sucy and Jasminka almost shoving each other to take second place. All three of them are ahead by quite a ways from the rest of the competition.

“England quickly takes an early lead, but Manbavaran and Antonenko are making her work for it! What an exciting start!” the announcer narrates. She is quite right, as I notice the redhead moving from side to side to block the advance of her two pursuers.

However, Sucy decides to dip lower, slipping under Hannah and taking the lead.

“Oh, a smart move! Manbavaran literally slips under England’s defenses and takes the lead! Antonenko takes advantage of England’s shock and takes second!”

I widen my eyes as I see my teammate slow down partially, an opportunity that Jasminka uses to continue pursuing Sucy. However, Hannah reacts quickly, and speeds up again, catching up to the Russian girl.

With Sucy in the lead, closely followed by Hannah and Jasminka, they reach the first station. Sucy passes the baton off to Lotte, who immediately takes off, and then Hannah and Jasminka pass off their batons to their respective teammates, almost simultaneously.

“This race is so close! The leaders have finished the first leg of the course and their teammates have taken over! Yanson has a small advantage, but can she keep it when faced with Parker and von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger!?” I’m sometimes very surprised at how easily Wangari can say Constanze’s full surname so quickly.

The three girls fly off of the platform, keeping their starting positions for a few moments, but then Constanze dramatically speeds up, and Lotte instinctively dodges so they don’t crash. It works against her, though, because the quiet girl takes the lead.

“Poor Yanson! In a bold move, von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger practically pushes her off and takes the lead! Parker catches up to Yanson, but she continues to race and manages to keep up!”

The girls all speed towards us, followed by the rest of the competition, which has been left in the dust by this point. Their altitude begins to increase as they approach our position on the tower.

“What’s this!? Parker is speeding up, and she’s passing Yanson!” Wangari announces as Barbara gets slightly ahead of Lotte.

She’s not able to reach Constanze in time, though. The German girl hands her baton to Amanda, who chants “ _ Tia Freyre! _ ” and speeds away incredibly fast. Right after that, Barbara gives me our baton.

“ _ Tia Freyre! _ ” I chant just afterwards, starting my pursuit of Amanda.

“I’m sorry, Akko!” I hear Lotte exclaim behind me a split second later.

“Don’t worry!  _ Tia Freyre! _ ” the Japanese girl responds, taking off behind me and giving me only a very small advantage.

“Final leg of the race, ladies and gentlemen!” Wangari continues to narrate. “O’Neill’s in the lead, closely followed by last year’s champion, Cavendish, and Kagari, who’s actually flying now! Incredible!”

Passing Amanda is proving to be difficult. I’m going as fast as I can, but she remains just out of reach, and she accurately predicts my movements, moving herself to block them so I can’t pass her.

“I’m not losing to you again, Cavendish!” she declares, fired up.

“So intense! The three leaders are flying as fast as they can, but they can’t pass each other! Someone will have to make a power move pretty soon, or O’Neill will take the cup home!”

I look back just then, and see Akko just barely behind me, teeth gritted in concentration. Deciding I cannot keep looking at her, I look back towards the finish line, which is fast approaching.

As I rack my brain for a possible move I could make to pass Amanda, I hear Akko grunting beside me. I turn to look at her, and I am shocked by what I see.

I see her moving on top of us, flipping to keep her momentum, while she pushes her hat down on her head to keep it from falling. In other words, she’s executing a somersault right over us. I am so surprised, I let out a small yelp and dive downward. Amanda doesn’t react much better, grunting and moving to the left to avoid getting hit.

“Amazing! Kagari executes a flawless somersault right over the two leaders and takes first, moments before reaching the finish line! Will she claim the victory today!?”

Amanda regains her composure and speeds after the Japanese girl. “Akkoooo!” she yells in frustration, slowly catching up.

I look back and quickly notice the rest of the competitors starting to catch up. I gasp, then quickly regain my speed. I get right behind Amanda, who gets right behind Akko. We’re all going as fast as we can…

…Then Akko crosses the finish line first, with Amanda crossing it a split second later, and me coming in third just another split second afterwards.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winners! What a photo finish! Kagari went from being unable to fly to taking first place in just one year! Impressive!” Wangari comments. “O’Neill takes second and Cavendish third, unbelievable!”

All three of us finally come to a stop a few metres past the finish line. All three of us are out of breath, but when I look at Akko, she looks shocked for a moment as the audience cheers and the rest of the competitors cross the finish line. She smiles widely right after.

“ _ Katta… _ I won! Diana, I won!” she exclaims, overjoyed, looking towards me.

I sigh in response, though I’m also so happy for her, I can’t help but smile, too. “I know. You won against me,” I tell her.

“And me. Dammit, I stopped Cavendish from beating me, but Akko beat me instead…” Amanda says, sounding only partially frustrated.

However, Akko isn’t listening to us. In her excitement over having won, she begins looking for her teammates, and once she spots them approaching us, she flies toward them and pulls them both into a middair hug, alarming them both slightly.

Amanda and I look at each other, sigh, and lower ourselves to land on the grass.

“Let’s go to the awards ceremony. It’s probably gonna be pretty wild,” Amanda says, then chuckles to herself as she carries her broom over her shoulder and walks off.

I chuckle too, then follow her.

The awards ceremony is pretty amusing, since everyone seems to be in disbelief that Akko gave her team the victory. Headmistress Holbrooke gives her the trophy, and the three of them pose for the picture, with the joyous Japanese girl putting both her arms around her teammates’ shoulders and pulling them closer with a huge grin on her face. Professor Lukić also gives them their gift, kept in a small, black vase, and Sucy receives it with a grin that almost looks maniacal… After what the gift was last year, I’m glad I’m nowhere near that vase, and so are Hannah and Barbara, judging by their faces.

However, even as I stand on the podium on the third place spot with Hannah and Barbara, I can’t help but gaze up at Akko, with her immense grin, enjoying her victory. Even though I lost, I’m so happy to see her happy, that I forget all about being frustrated.


	5. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark clouds start gathering while the witches in Luna Nova continue their studies normally, and Croix nears a breakthrough with the cure she's working on...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK... AGAIN!
> 
> Seriously, I don't even know how to apologise this time... The hiatus began because uni began ramping up again right before winter break, and at the same time, my internet began getting slow to the point of being damn near unusable every day for several hours during several weeks. However, even after that passed, I still had trouble getting back into writing... I honestly hope I'm not forced to go into hiatus again, because it seems like the problem is stopping my writing, for any reason.
> 
> Anyways, I won't reiterate the beginning note for the story. If you haven't read it, it's right up there. Without further ado, enjoy the chapter! Also, Happy Holidays to all of you!

It’s been about a month since my run-in with those skeletons in that cave. After giving that old hag her mushrooms, she told me the component which I couldn’t identify was Type-K Magic Powder. Of course, I felt like an idiot after she revealed this information. Type-K is one of the very few substances that my decomposer has trouble dealing with. More importantly, knowing this made determining a possible cure for Wagandea Tree pollen simple, though it also made me dread the journey ahead of me. There’s a very small amount of magic substances that can counteract the effects of Type-K, and considering the other components that were in there, the list of possibilities was narrowed down considerably…

I have already gathered most of the ingredients I’ll need for the potion. I’m just missing the key ingredient now, which is the pollen of the Amethyst Blossom, a type of flower that only grows in the deepest reaches of the caves in northern Denmark.

I just love my rotten luck sometimes.

Thanking the fact that I at least won’t have to whip out my crappy Danish too much, I took a plane to Denmark and booked a room in a cheap hotel. This quest is really hurting my savings… I’ll have to work like mad after I’ve cured Chariot, that’s for certain.

After getting settled, I wasted no time and went straight to the northern coast. Now, I’m standing in front of a cave right by the sea, looking into it to try to determine whether there are Amethyst Blossoms inside or not. I eventually shrug, deciding there’s no way to know that without entering and exploring.

I walk forward, using my wand as a light source again. As I get deeper inside the cave, I find various ponds I have to hop over, and some rocks I have to climb on top of, or hop off of, to proceed, but other than that, the trek is surprisingly simple, if albeit somewhat tiring and time-consuming.

After what I estimate to be around an hour or so, I reach a dead end in which I can see some sparse vegetation growing from the cracks in the rocks. Among them, I can see the small, purple flower that looks as if its petals were made of crystal. The Amethyst Blossom, and there seem to be a few of them.

I grin and pump my fist triumphantly after seeing them, then I approach them and kneel down beside them, producing the scissors I brought with me from my satchel. I carefully cut the stems and place the flowers in the plastic bags I prepared for them earlier by putting cotton padding inside so the flower won’t be damaged. Once I’m done, I put everything away.

I stand back up and sigh, then turn around to make the trip back. However, before I’m able to do anything, I hear rumbling above me.

I frown and look up, but I can’t really see anything, even though the rumbling continues. It becomes progressively louder, too, like it’s getting closer…

Then, the rumbling reaches my location. It was pretty fast in reality, but my perception made it seem like a lot more time. The ceiling begins shaking, and even the ground shakes a bit, too, making me stumble. More alarmingly, though, the stone ceiling cracks, and pieces of it start to break off and drop to the ground. A particularly big one breaks off right above me, but I dive out of the way just in time to watch it break into pieces as it hits the ground.  _ This place is about to cave in on me! _

With this thought, I decide I don’t need to be in this cave any longer, so I grab my broom, which I had propped up against the rock wall earlier, and run back the way I came. I see the obstacles that I had to maneuvre around on the way in, though, and decide that if I run, I might get crushed. I ready my broom and, without even being fully on it, I chant the magic words.

“ _ Tia Freyre! _ ” I recite. The broom begins to fly, and I quickly settle myself on top of it, leaning forward to gain speed.

Many more big rocks start falling, and I have to quickly move from side to side to dodge them. As I look back, I see the entire ceiling collapsing, which makes me grit my teeth and quickly look back towards the exit.

The distance that probably took me about an hour to traverse earlier only takes a minute on the way back. Right after I burst out of the cave at full tilt, the last falling boulders hit the ground right by the entrance. The cave didn’t fully collapse, and some of it can still be explored, but it is definitely fully blocked off further in. I turn back to look at this scene and sigh in relief.  _ That was way too close… _

After this thought, however, I frown, concerned.  _ That rumbling wasn’t natural, and the cave itself couldn’t have caved in on its own…  _ I think. I raise my gaze once more and, as if on cue, I see a fire within the coastal town a few ways away. Some quick calculations in my head place the site more or less above the dead end where I found the Amethyst Blossoms. My eyes widen in alarm, and without any more preamble, I speed towards the town.

As I get closer to the burning building, a sense of unease grows within me. This town was the picture of peace when I passed through it on the way here, so why did something like this happen so suddenly?

Eventually, I reach the store on fire. I know that it’s a store because it’s in the middle of a lot of other stores of various kinds. I see the firefighters rescuing a couple survivors and trying to put the fire out before it gets to the buildings on either side of it. The store in question, though, looks like it exploded, and several times at that.  _ What kind of store was that to blow up like this? A restaurant with a gas leak? _

I touch down a couple metres behind the security perimeter set up by the firefighters, then draw my broom up and run over to the guy who looks to be in charge. “Sir, what in the world-!?” However, I’m not able to finish that thought, as he turns and, upon seeing me with both a broom and a wand in hand, grimaces and takes a step back, his eyes wide with fear.

“ _ Heks _ !!!” he yells, and suddenly, I’m forced to notice that the police is also present, as a trio of officers all train their guns on me.

I stop dead in my tracks, raising my hands over my head in a sign of peace. “Whoa, whoa, what’s going on? I’m on your side!” I exclaim as I unceremoniously drop both my broom and my wand down on the street, simply letting them go as my hands move up.

The officers and the firefighter all blink a couple times before they sigh, the guns being lowered and holstered once more. I frown afterwards, scanning the scene with my eyes to notice that, suddenly, I’m the center of attention. Another man approaches from the side and flashes his police badge at me, despite being in plainclothes. I assume he must be a detective, or something along those lines.

“Detective Johansen,” he introduces himself in English. “So, you’re not with the group from earlier?” he asks me with a severe expression.

I raise an eyebrow at that. “What group? I was over at the beach just a few moments ago, exploring the caves.”

He sighs and rubs the back of his neck in frustration. “Lady, this jewelry shop right here shouldn’t have blown up,” he explains, his tone sounding frustrated. “Everyone who saw it described the same thing: a witch casting a spell right before the store began exploding repeatedly. Some of my officers even saw them as they made their escape. This heist was carried out by a group of witches.”

As he proceeds through his explanation, my eyes widen in realisation before I lower my head, frowning.  _ It’s already happening… Magic is being used for nefarious purposes again… _

After a moment of silence, I nod towards him. “Thank you for the explanation. I’ll be out of your hair now. Sorry for the intrusion.” I pick my broom and wand back up, turn away, get on the former, and slowly fly away, back towards my hotel.  _ Chariot needs to know this as soon as possible… And I have to get the cure to her as soon as possible. _

* * *

Despite everyone having looked forward to Modern Magic classes at the beginning of the school year, it became clear as day to us students that a teacher could heavily influence how engaging a class was. Classes with Professor Meridies last year were very interesting and engaging, but the same subject with Professor Johnson just isn’t the same.

Now, this is not to say the professor isn’t good at what she does, or even that she’s a bad teacher… However, her classes just feel dull in comparison to Professor Meridies’s.

I’m sure the logic of “if Diana Cavendish thinks a class is dull, then the rest of her classmates are practically going to die of boredom” applies here. Taking one look at Akko and her roommates makes it very clear they’d all be anywhere but here as they absently take notes, even Lotte, who looks like she’s desperately trying to keep her attention on the class. Even though Akko has shown to be more diligent in her studies recently, I can’t help but wonder whether she’s actually taking notes or simply doodling into her notebook, which I honestly wouldn’t blame her for. One look towards my own roommates also tells me Hannah and Barbara are bored out of their minds. Hannah has given up on taking notes and decided she would simply stare absently at the professor, her cheek resting on her palm with her elbow propped up on her desk, while Barbara seems to be writing down ideas for her current story rather than taking notes. The sight makes me close my eyes and sigh. Even my own patience is starting to grow thin.

After a few more minutes that feel like an eternity, however, the professor finishes her lecture and dismisses the class before taking her laptop and leaving, faster than any of the students. The sight makes me frown.  _ She sure is eager to leave her own lecture… _

Ever since the beginning of the school year, Professor Johnson has been remarkably skittish. None of the students I’ve talked to about her have ever interacted with her outside of class and, in fact, I can’t remember having ever seen her outside of class and the opening ceremony, and neither can any of my classmates. And now, she adds exiting the classroom in a hurry to her list of strange behaviours…

“You saw that, right?” suddenly asks Hannah.

“Yeah, that was a little fast…” Barbara comments in agreement, and I can see her nodding at Hannah as I turn to look at them.

Not another word is spoken before I stand up and swiftly make my way down towards the exit. Both of my teammates look at me in puzzlement.

“Diana?” asks Barbara as she sees me walking away.

“We’re following her,” I answer matter-of-factly.

It isn’t long until both of them catch up to me and follow me towards the exit. Interestingly enough, though, Akko, Amanda and their respective teams also meet us at the exit, making me stop and raise an eyebrow at them.

“You guys thought that was strange, too, didn’t you?” Lotte asks us as Akko nods twice, looking curious and also like she suspects something, while Sucy looks towards the exit with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, that’s definitely suspicious as hell,” eloquently adds Amanda. “We’re a little curious about that.” Meanwhile, Constanze looks towards the open door leading to the hallway in much the same way as Sucy while Jasminka actually looks thoughtful for once.

I look at them all for a moment, then nod at them before turning and leaving the classroom, all of them following me.

“We’ll lose her if we continue to dawdle,” I tell them. “This group is also very big, so we won’t be able to follow her discreetly. We’ll have to feign ignorance.”

As I walk down the hallway, I see Akko taking my side in the corner of my eye, and nodding after I have given instructions. As I look in front of me, though, I see the Professor’s blonde hair a few metres ahead of us.

Quickly, though, the other girls in our group follow my instructions and begin chatting amongst themselves, like they usually do. Akko even turns towards me, smiling, and speaks.

“So, Diana… Did you watch the series I recommended to you?” she asks me.

“Oh, um… Well, I started it, but I’m still not done,” I respond to her. She eventually found out I had recently gotten into Japanese animation when I asked her for recommendations.

“How far along are you?”

“I just finished the second season. I’m still wondering what is going to happen afterwards, though...” I reason. “There are four seasons already, but it almost looks like they’ve already solved all their problems, when the protagonist’s best friend threw that staff into the portal…”

She laughs in response. “Oh, trust me. You’re in for quite a surprise!” she says excitedly, then looks at me as if expecting something else.

I raise an eyebrow, puzzled.  _ What could she possibly want? _

She then directs her eyes towards the end of the hallway for a short moment before looking back at me. I follow her gaze and see nothing of note…  _ Nothing of note…? Wait, Professor Johnson! _

I grimace, suddenly remembering what we were doing after having entirely forgotten about it, focusing all my attention on Akko.  _ Where is she!?  _ We seem to have lost her. I grit my teeth, then run forward, frustrated by my lack of concentration.  _ Where did she go!? _

I round the only corner she could have rounded to get out of sight so quickly, only to find Professor Callistis carrying a small pile of books. I appear within her field of vision so suddenly that she starts, almost dropping her books.

After a moment, she blinks. “D-Diana?”

“Professor Callistis! I, uh…”

“ _ Ursula-sensei!  _ Did you see Professor Johnson going through here?” Akko asks, rounding the corner after me. I turn to look at her, my expression looking every bit as perplexed as I currently am.

“Uh… No, I haven’t seen her…”

“Think she flew off?” asks Amanda, approaching us from the hallway with everyone else.

“No… She wasn’t carrying her broom…” Lotte interjects. “Maybe she used transportation magic?”

“Or she drank an invisibility potion?” Sucy adds.

“Or maybe, she transformed herself into a mouse and scurried off!” Akko declares, putting her fist on her palm like she figured out a big mystery.

“Or a similarly small animal…” Jasminka adds just afterwards, causing everyone to look at her dumbfounded, even our beloved redheaded teacher. In response, she looks at us all in turn before shrugging. “I’m just saying, it’s possible she turned into something other than a mouse…”

After another short bout of silence, Professor Callistis speaks up once more. “Girls, I’m pretty sure I would have seen something if that was the case…”

After hearing this, I frown, and turn to Akko once more. “Didn’t you see her round this corner? Where did she go!?”

“Yeah, I saw her!” she exclaims, then shrugs. “I’m as confused as you are, Diana…”

I sigh, hang my head, and pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration.

Another short silence, then Ursula speaks once more. “May I know why you all were following Professor Johnson?”

“Oh, c’mon, teach! Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how weird she’s behaved all this time!” Amanda replies, sounding somewhat exasperated.

Lotte sighs in response. “Amanda’s wording aside, none of us have seen her anywhere outside the classroom, let alone having spoken to her at all outside of a lecture.”

Hannah nods. “Yeah, none of our friends have, either.” Barbara nods twice after our mutual teammate speaks.

Ursula frowns after hearing this, though whatever she has in mind, she keeps it to herself. “I see…”

“You really haven’t seen her?” Akko asks afterwards.

The professor sighs. “No, I haven’t… But I will look into this,” she says with a reassuring smile. She begins walking once more, but stops after she has passed us and turns towards us. “But please… try to stay out of trouble…”

Akko lets out a small, nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. “We’ll try…”

That seems to have satisfied our professor, because she smiles and nods. “I’ll see you all in class,” she says before turning and continuing on her path from earlier.

After she’s gone, Akko turns to the group. “What do we do now?” she asks us.

“I… I need some space,” I say, then quickly turn and leave towards my room.

_ I let her get away…  _ I think.  _ She got away, and it was all because of my distraction…  _ I shake my head in frustration.  _ I can’t believe I let my little crush distract me from something like this… _

Some time later, I arrive in my room, sighing after closing the door. I look towards my laptop for a moment, then shake my head before heading to my bed and flopping down on it.

Some time later, my smartphone starts ringing in my pocket. I raise an eyebrow, sit up, and take it out, wondering who could be calling me. I blink a couple times and frown as I see the caller ID identifying the Cavendish Estate.

I pick up the call and immediately speak. “Hello?”

“Miss Diana, have you seen the news yet?” Anna’s voice says from the speaker, though she sounds agitated.

“Anna, slow down! What’s happening?”

“Something bad, Miss! You need to see this!”

“Alright, I will. Please, calm down. I’m fine…”

“Well, yes… Let’s hope you’ll stay safe, Miss. I’m sorry for springing this on you so suddenly and then leaving, but I need to get back to work.”

“Yes, of course! Take care of yourself, Anna…”

“Likewise, Miss…”

We hang up after this, then I quickly stand and go to my laptop, pulling up my preferred news site. It isn’t long until I figure out what Anna was talking about. It’s the very first headline I see, and it completely freezes my train of thought.

“Family of four murdered by witches, youngest son only survivor.”

I am completely stumped in front of these words. I’m not sure how long I remain staring at the headline, my mind having halted all of its functions. After a while, I finally manage to regain my train of thought by blinking a couple times and shaking my head. After this, I scroll down to read the article…

As far as I can gather from reading it, the family lived in London, and the witches that killed them were apparently not witches before Yggdrasil was reawakened. They were a group of women employed by the boy’s father in his company. Obviously, the only one that could testify was a traumatised child that couldn’t really understand workplace tensions, so there’s not much more information than that, other than sensationalism.

After having read the entire article, I collapse on my chair, defeated. I cannot muster the strength to do anything but think about this information.  _ They only became witches after Yggdrasil was reawakened? So… Did they only begin their magic studies… to get back at this man? Not much time has passed since then, so it’s possible… _

After this line of thought, my eyebrows furrow in worry, then I put my palm to my forehead.  _ If this means what I think it means… We’re in deep trouble… _


End file.
